OBJECTIVE: To analyze the clinical characteristics of elderly patients with sepsis, identify the key factors affecting their clinical outcomes, construct a death risk assessment scale for elderly patients with sepsis, and evaluate its predictive value. METHODS: A retrospective case-control study was conducted. The clinical data of sepsis patients admitted to intensive care unit (ICU) of the First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University from September 2021 to September 2023 were collected, including basic information, clinical characteristics, and clinical outcomes. The patients were divided into non-elderly group (age ≥ 65 years old) and elderly group (age < 65 years old) based on age. Additionally, the elderly patients were divided into survival group and death group based on their 30-day survival status. The clinical characteristics of elderly patients with sepsis were analyzed. Univariate and multivariate Logistic regression analyses were used to screen the independent risk factors for 30-day death in elderly patients with sepsis, and the regression equation was constructed. The regression equation was simplified, and the death risk assessment scale was established. The predictive value of different scores for the prognosis of elderly patients with sepsis was compared. RESULTS: (1) A total of 833 patients with sepsis were finally enrolled, including 485 in the elderly group and 348 in the non-elderly group. Compared with the non-elderly group, the elderly group showed significantly lower counts of lymphocyte, T cell, CD8⁺ T cell, and the ratio of T cells and CD8⁺ T cells [lymphocyte count (×10⁹/L): 0.71 (0.43, 1.06) vs. 0.83 (0.53, 1.26), T cell count (cells/μL): 394.0 (216.0, 648.0) vs. 490.5 (270.5, 793.0), CD8⁺ T cell count (cells/μL): 126.0 (62.0, 223.5) vs. 180.0 (101.0, 312.0), T cell ratio: 0.60 (0.48, 0.70) vs. 0.64 (0.51, 0.75), CD8⁺ T cell ratio: 0.19 (0.13, 0.28) vs. 0.24 (0.16, 0.34), all P < 0.01], higher natural killer cell (NK cell) count, acute physiology and chronic health evaluation II (APACHE II) score, ratio of invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV) during hospitalization, and 30-day mortality [NK cell count (cells/μL): 112.0 (61.0, 187.5) vs. 95.0 (53.0, 151.0), APACHE II score: 16.00 (12.00, 21.00) vs. 13.00 (8.00, 17.00), IMV ratio: 40.6% (197/485) vs. 31.9% (111/348), 30-day mortality: 28.9% (140/485) vs. 19.5% (68/348), all P < 0.05], and longer length of ICU stay [days: 5.5 (3.0, 10.0) vs. 5.0 (3.0, 8.0), P < 0.05]. There were no statistically significant differences in the levels of inflammatory markers such as C-reactive protein (CRP), procalcitonin (PCT), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interferon-γ (IFN-γ), and interleukins (IL-2, IL-4, IL-6, IL-10) between the two groups. (2) In 485 elderly patients with sepsis, 345 survived in 30 days, and 140 died with the 30-day mortality of 28.9%. Compared with the survival group, the patients in the death group were older, and had lower body mass index (BMI), white blood cell count (WBC), PCT, platelet count (PLT) and higher IL-6, IL-10, N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP), total bilirubin (TBil), blood lactic acid (Lac), and ratio of in-hospital IMV and continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT). Multivariate Logistic regression analysis indicated that BMI [odds ratio (OR) = 0.783, 95% confidence interval (95%CI) was 0.678-0.905, P = 0.001], IL-6 (OR = 1.073, 95%CI was 1.004-1.146, P = 0.036), TBil (OR = 1.009, 95%CI was 1.000-1.018, P = 0.045), Lac (OR = 1.211, 95%CI was 1.072-1.367, P = 0.002), and IMV during hospitalization (OR = 6.181, 95%CI was 2.214-17.256, P = 0.001) were independent risk factors for 30-day death in elderly patients with sepsis, and the regression equation was constructed (Logit P = 1.012-0.244×BMI+0.070×IL-6+0.009×TBil+0.190×Lac+1.822×IMV). The regression equation was simplified to construct a death risk assessment scale, namely BITLI score. Receiver operator characteristic curve (ROC curve) analysis showed that the area under the ROC curve (AUC) of BITLI score for predicting death risk was 0.852 (95%CI was 0.769-0.935), and it was higher than APACHE II score (AUC = 0.714, 95%CI was 0.623-0.805) and sequential organ failure assessment (SOFA) score (AUC = 0.685, 95%CI was 0.578-0.793). The determined cut-off value of BITLI score was 1.50, while achieving a sensitivity of 83.3% and specificity of 74.0%. CONCLUSIONS Elderly patients with sepsis often have reduced lymphocyte counts, severe conditions, and poor prognosis. BMI, IL-6, TBil, Lac, and IMV during hospitalization were independent risk factors for 30-day death in elderly patients with sepsis. The BITLI score constructed based above risk factors is more precise and reliable than traditional APACHE II and SOFA scores in predicting the outcomes of elderly patients with sepsis.
Humans ; Sepsis/mortality* ; Aged ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Assessment ; Case-Control Studies ; Prognosis ; Male ; Female ; Intensive Care Units ; Risk Factors ; Aged, 80 and over ; Logistic Models ; Middle Aged

Objective To quantitatively assess the correlation between the skeletal muscle index(SMI)of patients and the occur-rence of anastomotic leakage(AL)in rectal cancer patients after surgery,and to analyze the risk factors for AL in rectal cancer patients and the influencing factors of sarcopenia.Methods The clinical,pathological,and related imaging data of 362 patients who under-went radical surgery for rectal cancer were retrospectively analyzed.All patients underwent pelvic MRI and abdominal CT scans(plain/enhanced)within one month before surgery,and the third lumbar vertebra skeletal muscle area(L3-SMA)was measured from the images.All patients were divided into AL group(56 cases)and control group(306 cases)based on the presence or absence of postoperative complications.The differences in clinical characteristics and imaging parameters between the two groups were analyzed.A logistic risk prediction model was established.Results Significant differences were observed between the two groups in sarcopenia,type of surgery,surgical approach,serum albumin level,operation duration,stoma type,and extramural vascular invasion(EMVI)(P＜0.05).These factors were incorporated in a multivariate logistic regression analysis model,the area under the curve(AUC)of receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve of the model was 0.810[95％confidence interval(CI)0.743-0.876,P＜0.001],with a sensitivity of 0.865 and specificity of 0.669.Conclusion Sar-copenia is a significant risk factor for AL after rectal cancer surgery.It enhances the predictive efficacy for postoperative AL and serves as a basis for identifying high-risk populations for AL in clinical practice.

Turning to critical illness is a common stage of various diseases and injuries before death. Patients usually have complex health conditions, while the treatment process involves a wide range of content, along with high requirements for doctor′s professionalism and multi-specialty teamwork, as well as a great demand for time-sensitive treatments. However, this is not matched with critical care professionals and the current state of medical care in China. Telemedicine, which shortens the distance of medical professionals and the gap of disease diagnosis and treatments in various regions through electronic information, can effectively solve the current problem. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop a standardized, high-quality visualization telemedicine round system .Therefore, experts have been organized to search domestic and foreign literature on telemedicine round for critically ill patients and to form this consensus based on clinical experiences so as to further improve the level of critical care treatments in regions.

Purpose To develop and validate a nomogram incorporating high-resolution MRI and clinicopathological indicators for predicting distant metastasis after curative resection of mid-low rectal cancer.Materials and Methods This retrospective study analyzed 219 patients with pathologically confirmed mid-low rectal cancer from Tianjin Union Medical Center(December 2016 to December 2021).Patients were categorized into metastasis(n=46)and non-metastasis(n=173)groups based on postoperative distant metastasis occurrence.All patients underwent preoperative pelvic MRI with measurement of posterior mesangial thickness(PMT),mesentery fat area(MFA)and mesenteric fascia envelopment volume(MFEV)on high-resolution T2WI.Clinicopathological and imaging data were collected.Cox proportional hazards model identified predictive factors for distant metastasis,and a risk probability nomogram was constructed.Predictive performance,goodness-of-fit and clinical applicability were evaluated.Results Kaplan-Meier analysis demonstrated significantly higher distant metastasis risk in patients with PMT≤1.43 cm,MFA≤19.31 cm2 and MFEV≤137.46 cm3 compared to those with higher values(χ2=29.07,8.71,19.05;all P<0.05).Cox regression identified tumor differentiation(HR=0.536,95％CI 0.290-0.990),pathological N stage(HR=0.397,95％CI 0.210-0.747),perirectal structure invasion(HR=0.242,95％CI 0.068-0.865)and PMT(HR=0.334,95％CI 0.168-0.664)as independent predictors.The nomogram achieved a concordance index of 0.775 with good calibration.Decision curve analysis demonstrated substantial net benefit across wide probability thresholds,indicating excellent clinical applicability.Conclusion Patients with PMT≤1.43 cm,MFA≤19.31 cm2 and MFEV≤137.46 cm3 exhibit elevated distant metastasis risk.The nomogram incorporating tumor differentiation,pathological N stage,perirectal structure invasion and PMT effectively predicts distant metastasis after curative resection of mid-low rectal cancer.

Turning to critical illness is a common stage of various diseases and injuries before death. Patients usually have complex health conditions, while the treatment process involves a wide range of content, along with high requirements for doctor′s professionalism and multi-specialty teamwork, as well as a great demand for time-sensitive treatments. However, this is not matched with critical care professionals and the current state of medical care in China. Telemedicine, which shortens the distance of medical professionals and the gap of disease diagnosis and treatments in various regions through electronic information, can effectively solve the current problem. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop a standardized, high-quality visualization telemedicine round system .Therefore, experts have been organized to search domestic and foreign literature on telemedicine round for critically ill patients and to form this consensus based on clinical experiences so as to further improve the level of critical care treatments in regions.

Objective To quantitatively assess the correlation between the skeletal muscle index(SMI)of patients and the occur-rence of anastomotic leakage(AL)in rectal cancer patients after surgery,and to analyze the risk factors for AL in rectal cancer patients and the influencing factors of sarcopenia.Methods The clinical,pathological,and related imaging data of 362 patients who under-went radical surgery for rectal cancer were retrospectively analyzed.All patients underwent pelvic MRI and abdominal CT scans(plain/enhanced)within one month before surgery,and the third lumbar vertebra skeletal muscle area(L3-SMA)was measured from the images.All patients were divided into AL group(56 cases)and control group(306 cases)based on the presence or absence of postoperative complications.The differences in clinical characteristics and imaging parameters between the two groups were analyzed.A logistic risk prediction model was established.Results Significant differences were observed between the two groups in sarcopenia,type of surgery,surgical approach,serum albumin level,operation duration,stoma type,and extramural vascular invasion(EMVI)(P＜0.05).These factors were incorporated in a multivariate logistic regression analysis model,the area under the curve(AUC)of receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve of the model was 0.810[95％confidence interval(CI)0.743-0.876,P＜0.001],with a sensitivity of 0.865 and specificity of 0.669.Conclusion Sar-copenia is a significant risk factor for AL after rectal cancer surgery.It enhances the predictive efficacy for postoperative AL and serves as a basis for identifying high-risk populations for AL in clinical practice.

Purpose To develop and validate a nomogram incorporating high-resolution MRI and clinicopathological indicators for predicting distant metastasis after curative resection of mid-low rectal cancer.Materials and Methods This retrospective study analyzed 219 patients with pathologically confirmed mid-low rectal cancer from Tianjin Union Medical Center(December 2016 to December 2021).Patients were categorized into metastasis(n=46)and non-metastasis(n=173)groups based on postoperative distant metastasis occurrence.All patients underwent preoperative pelvic MRI with measurement of posterior mesangial thickness(PMT),mesentery fat area(MFA)and mesenteric fascia envelopment volume(MFEV)on high-resolution T2WI.Clinicopathological and imaging data were collected.Cox proportional hazards model identified predictive factors for distant metastasis,and a risk probability nomogram was constructed.Predictive performance,goodness-of-fit and clinical applicability were evaluated.Results Kaplan-Meier analysis demonstrated significantly higher distant metastasis risk in patients with PMT≤1.43 cm,MFA≤19.31 cm2 and MFEV≤137.46 cm3 compared to those with higher values(χ2=29.07,8.71,19.05;all P<0.05).Cox regression identified tumor differentiation(HR=0.536,95％CI 0.290-0.990),pathological N stage(HR=0.397,95％CI 0.210-0.747),perirectal structure invasion(HR=0.242,95％CI 0.068-0.865)and PMT(HR=0.334,95％CI 0.168-0.664)as independent predictors.The nomogram achieved a concordance index of 0.775 with good calibration.Decision curve analysis demonstrated substantial net benefit across wide probability thresholds,indicating excellent clinical applicability.Conclusion Patients with PMT≤1.43 cm,MFA≤19.31 cm2 and MFEV≤137.46 cm3 exhibit elevated distant metastasis risk.The nomogram incorporating tumor differentiation,pathological N stage,perirectal structure invasion and PMT effectively predicts distant metastasis after curative resection of mid-low rectal cancer.

The standardized training of resident doctors has entered a new stage of quality construction.The multi-station assessment in clinical context takes clinical problems as the core and residents as the main body,and uses the way of integrating practice and clinical thinking training to help residents build the comprehensive ability to solve clinical practical problems.This paper reviews and summarizes the practice of multi-station assessment mode in a tertiary hospital in Tianjin in recent three years from the aspects of assessment scheme,examination station setting,examination content,requirements and characteristics of ex-amination questions.Problem-oriented,find out the problems existing in the operation process and put forward solutions,so as to provide a reference for further improving the assessment and training system,promoting the training management of residential training bases and improving the training quality.

Traumatic cerebrospinal fluid leakage commonly presents in traumatic brain injury patients, and it may lead to complications such as meningitis, ventriculitis, brain abscess, subdural hematoma or tension pneumocephalus. When misdiagnosed or inappropriately treated, traumatic cerebrospinal fluid leakage may result in severe complications and may be life-threatening. Some traumatic cerebrospinal fluid leakage has concealed manifestations and is prone to misdiagnosis. Due to different sites and mechanisms of trauma and degree of cerebrospinal fluid leak, treatments for traumatic cerebrospinal fluid leakage varies greatly. Hence, the Craniocerebral Trauma Professional Group of Neurosurgery Branch of Chinese Medical Association and the Neurological Injury Professional Group of Trauma Branch of Chinese Medical Association organized relevant experts to formulate the " Chinese expert consensus on the diagnosis and treatment of traumatic cerebrospinal fluid leakage in adults ( version 2023)" based on existing clinical evidence and experience. The consensus consisted of 16 recommendations, covering the leakage diagnosis, localization, treatments, and intracranial infection prevention, so as to standardize the diagnosis and treatment of traumatic cerebrospinal fluid leakage and improve the overall prognosis of the patients.

Objective To evaluate the efficacy of decompression craniotomy for the treatment of patients with malignant cerebral venous thrombosis. Methods The clinical characteristics,treatment process and follow - up results of 9 patients with malignant cerebral venous thrombosis treated with decom-pression craniotomy in Beijing Xuanwu Hospital,Capital Medical University from February 2010 to August 2015 were analyzed retrospectively. Results The preoperative Glasgow coma scale (GCS)score of 9 patients was < 9,7 survived and 2 died. The conditions of 6 patients (preoperative GCS 8 in 1 case, GCS 6 in 3cases,GCS 4 in 1case,and GCS3 in 1case)were improved in combination with other control intrac ranial pressure treatment after craniotomy decompression surgery. They recovered well (Glasgow outcome scale, GOS 4 -5). One patient (preoperative GCS 4)had severe disability (GOS 3)after procedure;1 (preoperative GCS 3)was in deep comatose state at the time of discharge and died of complications after 1 month;1 patient with bilateral mydriasis (GCS 5)was treated with craniotomy decompression,and his pupils did not return,he had circulatory failure,gave up the treatment,and died. All patients did not have the complications directly related to the surgery. Seven patients survived and continued to use warfarin anticoagulation therapy for at least 6 moths after discharge. The controlled international normalized ratio (INR)was 2 -3. They were followed up for 3 months to 5 years. The head MRI re-examination did not reveal the recurrence of venous sinus thrombosis. The modified Rankin scales (mRS)score was 0 to 2 in 6 cases after 3 months. The other one (preoperative GCS 4)had ipsilateral cerebral hemorrhage on surgical site at 4 months after discharge. He was improved after withdrawing anticoagulation and using conservative treatment for 20 d (mRS score 4). Conclusions For patients with malignant cerebral venous thrombosis,when the patients have acute cerebral hernia or hernia tendency,the emergency craniotomy decompression surgery may save lives and enable patients to achieve a better quality of life.